


Google is always your friend

by NinNinNin



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, M/M, My first time tagging i'm so sorry, Nudist, accidents at work, english is not my first language, i'm gonna stop apologizing now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 13:36:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7620115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinNinNin/pseuds/NinNinNin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or: How to tell your partner you're a nudist</p><p>After Kotetsu gets hurt at work, Barnaby stays at his place to take care of him for a a couple of days. The thing is, Kotetsu is a nudist and he doesn't know how to tell his partner about this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Google is always your friend

Disclaimers: I really don’t own anything, I wish but ah, the unfairness of life.  
Author’s Note: Written for Okamihanyu on tumblr, I hope you like it ^^ I hope I haven't dissappointed you too much!This was written as a prize for a contest, thanks for the very interesting prompt, I doubt I would have written this scenario otherwise, but I’m really glad I did! I learned a lot of new stuff. See end for more notes. 

\-----

Kotetsu felt itchy. It was like he had invisible ants all over his body and he could do nothing about it. He also felt like his suit was shrinking for every passing minute.

“Stop it.” Barnaby sharply hissed, not even looking at his partner, keeping his eyes focused on the power point Agnes was showing them.

“What?” Kotetsu hissed back, not stopping his scratching.

“That scratching and twitching! Just stop pulling at your clothes and sit like a grown up man!” Barnaby scolded, glaring over at Kotetsu, his expression disapproving.

Kotetsu huffed and stuck out his tongue, but stopped dragging at his collar and sat straight up in the chair. “I can do this.” He told himself. “I’m a hero and I’ve done this countless of times before. I can do this.”

But that didn’t help him from feeling like he was trapped and caged in his own clothes. Kotetsu had been uncomfortable in his own clothes for the past 4 years, ever since he discovered the freedom of being a nudist. 

That’s right, Kotetsu, a.k.a. Wild Tiger was a nudist. The first thing he did when he got home was to remove all clothes and inhale with joy as he walked around naked in his apartment. It wasn’t because he was narcissistic or particularly against clothes, it simply was that he felt more at ease without them on and more acceptable of his own body when he was naked. And more at ease with the knowledge that he was, in fact, not a teenager anymore. 

Kotetsu knew that society frowned upon people like him and that was why he hadn’t dare take the step out yet and admit to his family or publicly that he was a nudist, in fear that Kaede would get harassed because of it. Sometimes Kotetsu wondered if he was being overprotective over her, but then again, he really loved her and didn’t wish that she would worry more about him than she already did.

Thus, here he was, once again in these itching, trapping clothes, having to listen to Agnes talk about how they all had to try to be more mindful of the cameras and the best angle for when they were hitting the finishing blow and bla bla bla. Ivan was of course furiously taking notes and Keith was nodding in good spirit, along with Bunny-chan, but the rest was looking just as bored as Kotetsu was feeling. 

“Really, nothing of this matter once you are out there. Who has time to look for cameras when you are trying to not get a 15 ton bulldozer over you?” Kotetsy stifled a yawn and rolled up his sleeves to get some skin free.

He cheered up immediately as his wristband lighted up and signaled that it was time to beat up some bad guys. 

“Let’s go Bunny-chan!” He all but dragged his partner out of the lecture hall, thanking higher power for getting him out of there.

“It’s Barnaby, for the millionth time and stop dragging me!” Barnaby snapped, yanking his arm back, but kept running in Kotetsu's pace. 

“Yes, yes.” Kotetsu sing-sang, not really paying attention at all. Fighting the bad guys, that was one thing that he could do. All these meeting, greetings, hand shaking events, openings and galas, they really weren’t his thing. Especially since he discovered that wearing those suits with shirts, vests and jacket really made him feel uncomfortable (and even more than he had before, believe it or not). Not to talk about that hanging rope he had to have around his neck. It all felt so wrong and it made him even more edgy and unfocused than usual. Luckily, Bunny-chan was always there to cover for him and usually Kotetsu’s antics were covered up as his “image” and him being himself. Which did not stop Barnaby from lecturing him afterwards. Every. Single. Time. One would think Barnaby would have given up by now, but no.

“Ah, hello dear suit.” Kotetsu smiled and patted the only piece of clothes that he liked to have on. It was probably because that when he had his Hero suit on, he wasn’t Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, but Wild Tiger, the fearless and brave hero that saved people and captured the bad guys. And everyone knew that a hero needed a secret costume to hide his identity. So those clothes were okay, and beside, it wasn’t like he had time to think about those things when he was trying to escape getting pulverized by a stone type NEXT.

“What are we fighting this time?” Barnaby asked the monitor that had popped up above their head as they where putting on their hero suits.

“It seems there are two fire type NEXT villains trying to break into the shopping mall at Kingston Street. They have managed to barricade the main entrance and are holding the shoppers inside hostage, trying to demand that one of their friends are released from prison in exchange for the hostages. You should be able to solve this swiftly, but since they generously sponsored last month’s charity gala for retired Heroes, I think we should stand on good foot with them.” Agnes now looked straight at Kotetsu and pointed her manicured finger at him. 

“Which includes you too, Tiger, please try not to break anything this time.”

“Yes, yes.” Kotetsu waved and rolled his eyes. “I’ll do my best.” Though if I have to choose between breaking a window or saving a toddler, I know what I will choose.

“I’ll make sure we keep the damage to a minimum.” Barnaby glared at his partner, as if he thought Kotetsu was planning just how much he could break in five minutes.

“Good.” Agnes nodded and then the screen went black, and now only her voice was coming from the hearing device that was installed in the suits they were wearing. “Well then Heroes, time to head out!”

“Yes!” Barnaby and Kotetsu replied, before heading out to their motorcycle and this time, Kotetsu didn’t even bother complain about sitting shotgun.

It was a simply case really, the two NEXT weren’t really that badass or anything, and thanks to Sky High and Blue Rose, their fire power weren’t really that much of a threat. Still both Kotetsu's arms and neck had been directly in contact with fire as Kotetsu had dived into a sea of flame to save a grade schooler from getting burned alive. 

“Did you really have to let the kid have your helmet and gloves? Wouldn’t it have been easier if you simply used a jacket or a curtain nearby to keep the kid from directly breathing in the smoke? Really, what were you thinking.” Barnaby scolded Kotetsu, as he was using the last of his power to help him get out from the severely burned suit, since apparently the heat damage had somehow messed up the release mechanism. 

“Well, I didn’t really have that much time to think, did I?” Kotetsu hissed, as the air hit directly on his burned neck and arms, where the fire had hit him directly as he had got through the burning window, prioritizing the kid and not himself.

Kotetsu made a face as he looked down on what at least an hour ago had been his hero suit. He really didn’t want to meet Saito right now, he would probably get another earful from him about proper care of his suit and damage cost and on and on and on. Right now, all he wanted was a long hot shower in his own apartment and then to sleep with only his blanket on and nothing else, for a very, very long time.

"Dream on." Kotetsu exhaled deeply, preparing himself to face the music. 

Okay, so maybe Kotetsu had to admit, it might not really have been one of his greatest ideas to jump into that building. But the look on the mother's face when her kid was safe had at least made it worth it, even if he had to afterwards suffer through an endless long scolding from first Bunny, about how there had been at least three other ways to do that rescue on without having burnt himself that badly, then Saito, through the headphone set on full volume (damn it, he had no idea how to turn that blasted thing off!) and then Agnes had given him an earful about how Kotetsu should always make sure that the cameras were pointing his way when he pulled off ridiculous stunt like that, plus that with all the smoke it had been impossible for them to get a good view of his face! All this while the paramedic guys were fuzzing over him, bandaging him up and giving him instructions, which he could barely remember but he was sure Bunny had, as his partner had been standing there writing it all down. 

"Finally!" Kotetsu sighed as he opened the door to his apartment, breathing out in relief as he finally was allowed to be away from all the people. 

"We could have been done so much faster if you hadn't pulled off such an idiotic stunt." Well, all except one.

"Really, there was no reason for you to tag along all the way to my place, Bunny-chan. This old man do know how to take care of himself!"

Barnaby critically scanned over Kotetsu's place, taking in all the dirty dishes in the sink and the haphazardly clothes all over the place. "Could have fooled me."

"Why, I'm hurt!" Kotetsu mockingly threw his arms out, but then grimaced as that put pressure on his newly burnt arms. 

"Yes you are, quite literally at that." Barnaby scolded, taking out his phone. "Honestly, you should be thankful it didn't end worse than that."

"Yes, yes." Kotetsu carefully sat down on his couch, turning on the TV and hoping Bunny would take the hint and leave him alone. After all, he wanted to do nothing more than to take his clothes off and relax after the exhausting day he had just had. Besides, he felt like his skin was itching from wearing clothes for this long.

"Hello? I'd like to order two pizzas please." Which seemed to not be happening anytime soon. Kotetsu sighed, looking with weary eyes how his working partner ordered some take-outs for both of them, since apparently he didn't even have to look into Kotetsu's fridge to conclude there wouldn't be anything worth cooking with. Well, to be fair, he wouldn't have been wrong. 

Well at least he had been able to lose his shirt. And if Barnaby wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon then he would lose his pants too and just strut around in his boxers. 

"Bunny-chan, don't think I'm ungrateful or anything, but all I want right now is to just sit back, maybe watch a bad movie and then fall asleep in front of the TV, you know?" Kotetsu finally said after they had finished of their pizzas in mutual comfortable silence. 

Barnaby clicked his tongue and frowned, looking a little bit too much like a disappointed mother. “Barnaby, not Bunny, and Kotetsu-san, you have third degree’s burn scars on you, you should be think more about where you are going to sleep, you don’t-”

“Yes, yes, yes, okay I will make sure I make it to the bed, m'kay?” Kotetsu tried to smile and look like he was actually planning on doing that. 

Barnaby eyed his partner for a long time before crossing his arm in front of himself, leaning back on the chair. “Why do I not believe you?”

“Aaah, you’re really hurting this old man here! Hey come on, this is not the first time I’ve had some battle scars, you know? And I’ve suvived quite well on my own so far! So just trust me!”

Kotetsu’s words didn’t seem to ease Bunny’s mind at all, instead it only made the frown deepen.

“You will need help taking care of the scar on your neck and to get the bandage on tight enough.” Barnaby said, talking as if he was thinking out loud. “And it will be hard for you to make food and do simple chores...” He then nodded and Kotetsu watched with a sinking feeling as his partner suddenly had a very determined look on his face. “I’ll stay here for a couple of days and help you out.”

Okay, so this was going from slightly bad level to disaster level. Kotetsu was very familiar with Barnaby’s stubborness and he felt this was one of those times when his partner would not budge. Like that time when Kotetsu had tried to convince him they should do a pose for when they were presenting themselves. No matter how much he had tried to nag Bunny he had been refused every time. Still, he had to give it a try. After all, just the thought of him having to be in clothes, even if only meant his underwear all the time, in his own home for the following days made him want to scream. There was a reason why he had chosen to live in such a big place and not just a small one room apartment.

“Haha, Bunny-chan, there’s no need to go all mother hen on me! This old man do know how to take care of such himself! Also, I only need to change the bandages once a day right? And probably it will all be fine in a few days! So we can just do that at work! And I don’t make much food anyway so it’s not like that will change now.” Kotetsu laughed, throwing out all his cards on the table to change from the disaster course he felt they were going on. “Beside, why would you want to spend even more time with this old man? We already see each other all the time! Or is it Bunny-chan that’s being lonely?”

Unfortunately his banters didn't strike at all today, as Barnaby only simply huffed in that way he did a lot around his partner as he kept folding the pizza boxes before getting up to take them to the kitchen.

"Kotetsu-san, do not joke around about such serious matters. However, if the trouble is that you do not wish for me to be here, then I can arrange-"

"No, no, no, no!" Kotetsu quickly cut off Barnaby's talk. At least with Barnaby he could be almost naked, but with a complete stranger? No way. 

"Then it's settled." Barnaby said with a satisfied nod. "I'll go get my stuff tomorrow first thing in the morning. It is too late now and anyway, we have gotten two days off because of your...stunt." 

"Yeah, I already said I was sorry for that!" Kotetsu apologized half-heartedly before sighing. "Alright, so how about we just settle in for the evening then, watch a movie and then just go to sleep?"

"I think that would be a good course of action, yes." Barnaby checked his watch. "However, the film can't be longer than two hours, otherwise-"

"Yes, yes." Kotetsu cut his partner off and rolled his eyes. "Maybe this will be a good thing." He thought to himself. "Maybe after being with this guy around the clock for a while this stupid attraction I have for him go away."

Though, after the first 24 hours together, Kotetsu had to admit, that was not the case. In fact, he had to begrudgingly admit to himself, it had probably only made him like Barnaby even more. Also, he had never felt more trapped in a pair of white boxers before. But on the plus side, his house had never been this clean either.

See, he had managed to get away with being in only his white boxers and the bandages around his torso, telling his partner that "the treatment for the burn made him feel hot", but still, since he was used to being able to walk around nude, this was already too much for this old man.

For Kotetsu, nudity did not automatically mean sex, as sex did not mean nudity. This meant that of course he was attracted to his cute partner, but he didn't get more aroused just because Bunny was dressed in a sharp suit than when he was buck naked in the changing room. For Kotetsu, it was more the things Bunny did that turned him on, or certain...actions. Like that (rare) playful smile and how he pushed up his glasses that made Kotetsu's stomach knot. Or how he kept fussing over Kotetsu's eating habits, like he really cared about him.  
And maybe that was why he was feeling even more uncertain of telling his partner about his lifestyle, because he knew it would break his heart if he had to see Barnaby try to hide his disgust and contempt for him. He didn't know if he could survive such a blow.

So when Barnaby told him he would be going out to buy some groceries and check in on Sato about the suits, Kotetsu had to contain himself from not starting to jump up and down.

"You sure you are going to be okay, Kotetsu-san? You can't take the bandage off by yourself or try to cook anything while I'm gone."

"Yes mum." Kotetsu all but pushed Barnaby towards the door. "I'm sure I can survive two hours without setting myself on fire."

"Your health is not a joke." Barnaby didn't budge as he looked straight at Kotetsu. "It's still too soon to know if you have gotten any permanent scars or lasting internal damage on your organs. Do not take the situation lightly."

"Ha ha, you forget I've been in this business longer than you." Kotetsu lightly smacked Barnaby in the head, all while smiling good-heartedly. "I've been in much worse shape than this."  
He could see something flicker past in Barnaby's expression that he couldn't decipher (worry? distress?) before it was gone and Barnaby only looked annoyed again.

"Okay, have a safe trip, I'll see you in a few hours!" Kotetsu said cheerfully before Barnaby could start off on another rant and finally managed to get him away from the apartment.

"Phew." Kotetsu let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding in as he closed the door. Finally he could loose his boxers! For many people two days with clothes on all the time would probably not be anything difficult at all, but for Kotetsu it was agony. The feeling of fabric 24/7 was like an itching he couldn't scratch. On the other hand, the feeling he got from ditching his boxers and striping of the bandages was pure bliss. 

Thanks to his NEXT power, his burns had healed up nicely, enough so they didn't hurt when he flexed his arms. Of course, Barnaby would probably scold him when he got home, but Kotetsu would take that, this blissful feeling was totally worth it. 

"Well then! What should I do now?" Kotetsu said out loud, looking around in his apartment. Barnaby had been true to his words and had helped with the cleaning and cooking, so there wasn't much tidying up to be done. Kotetsu decided he would start with getting a drink from the fridge while he figured out his next move.

"I should probably use this time to figure out how to tell Bunny about me being a nudist." Kotetsu thought, while chugging down the juice. He felt he owned his partner that much, at least after how much trust Barnaby had put in him when he had told Kotetsu about his past. 

Kotetsu noticed he was pacing back and forth in his apartment and that half an hour had passed without him being any closer to the answer on how to tell his partner about his particular lifestyle. Kotetsu wished he could just call his daughter and ask for her advices, but this wasn't exactly the thing you asked a kid. Unless he managed to ask it in a roundabout way... 

Kotetsu smiled. He could almost hear Kaede's voice, how she would be slightly annoyed and irritated over his vague describition and how she would tell him to...

"....go google it!" He said to himself, stopping in his track, a grin spreading of his face. "Of course!" Kotetsu couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it! Of course, he wasn't as skilled on computers as his daughter, but even he knew how to look something up online. 

"That's it! There must have been plenty of people before me with this problem! I'm sure there must be some answers there!" Kotetsu thought to himself, almost feeling giddy with excitement, as he waited for his computer to start up. He also felt slightly stupid that he hadn't thought of this earlier.

He quickly started browsing, getting engrossed in all the different blogs and sites he found, feeling like a whole new side had opened up for him. Of course, he had read a few things when he had started out being a nudist, but mostly he had just rolled with it, so learning about all the kinds of societies and events that were out there was really interesting for him.

So engrossing that he didn't even hear when Barnaby came back.

"Kotetsu-san, what are you doing?" 

Kotetsu would have jumped out of his clothes if he had any on him. But instead he frantically tried to close his tabs while blabbing on to hide his embarrassment.

"Oh Bunny-chan! You almost scared me to death there." Kotetsu laughed nervously, cursing as his computer froze. "Why now of all times??"

"I have two questions." Barnaby said, his hands crossed in front of him. "Why have you taken of your bandages and why are you acting so suspiciously?" 

"Ummmm..." Kotetsu looked everywhere except at Barnaby. Then his gaze landed on the boxers he had discarded earlier, and a sudden wave of determination hit him. "I suppose this is as perfect a time as it will ever get." Kotetsu could also feel like a hand was gripping his insides, but he decided for once not be a chicken and just get it over with.

"I'm a nudist." Kotetsu blurted out, his eyes meeting Barnaby's steady gaze. "I like walking around nude, especially in my own home. Having clothes on for a longer time makes me super itchy."

Kotetsu could hear his heart pound in his ears, his hands suddenly sweaty as he waited for Barnaby's answer on his sudden confession. "Is he gonna think I'm joking? Make fun of me?" 

"I see. That would explain your history search there." Barnaby finally said, pointing at the computer, which ironically had froze on Kotetsu's earlier search "how to tell your friends you are a nudist".

"So...you don't think I'm weird?" Kotetsu asked, feeling like he was stepping on a mine field. "For liking to be..like this?" He vaguely pointed to his naked body.

"Well, I can't say I have any experience with nudists, but I'm not that bothered with you in that state." Barnaby fixed his glasses, smiling slightly. "And this is definitely not the first time I have seen you naked."

"So you don't hate me?" Kotetsu asked, cringing to himself over how childish that sounded.

"Hate you? Why would I? This is your apartment." Barnaby gestured to the surroundings before pointing at Kotetsu. "That is your body. Why would it affect me how you choose to dress in your own home? As long as you don't participate in anything that puts you in danger, I can't see why it should in any way affect our relationship."

"Well, uh," Kotetsu scratched his head. "Does this mean you don't... hate me?"

"Of course not." Barnaby smiled one of his rare soft smiles that always made Kotetsu's heart skip a beat. "In fact, I'm just relieved that the reason you have been so on edge isn't because..." Barnaby paused and started to fiddle with his watch, "you dislike having me around all the time."

"Whaaat? Of course not! I like you! I mean... I like being with you! I was just afraid you wouldn't want to be with me if I told you that I'm a nudist." Kotetsu blurted out, feeling his cheek flush. "Damn, I am too old to act like this."

"Wait, slow down, can you say that again?" Barnaby hold up his hand, a concentrated look on his face.

"I'm a..nudist?"

"No, before that."

"Gosh, Bunny-chan, don't make an old man like me embarrass myself over and over again." Kotetsu tried to laugh it off, avoiding eye contact.

"Did you say you like me? Kotetsu-san please answer me honestly." 

".." Kotetsu fiddled with his hands as he glanced at Barnaby's face, not liking the serious face the other was showing. 

"Fine, I'll just go ahead and assume I heard right the first time." Barnaby sighed and reached for Kotetsu's hands. "Kotetsu-san, I like you too."

"Huh?" Kotetsu looked up, a perplexed expression on his face. "Come again?"

"I. Like. You." Barnaby said slowly, making sure every word came out loud and clear. "And not as friends or coworkers."

"You..like me?" Kotetsu repeated slowly, not believing his ears. "Is this for real? Man, this feels like something straight out of a shojo manga!" 

"Yes, you obnoxious, hot-blooded, bothersome old man, I like you and the fact that you are a nudist has not changed my feelings." Barnaby smiled, squeezing Kotetsu's hands in his.

"So, you think you could embrace this lifestyle with me?" Kotetsu asked, trying for a joke but ending up with cautious optimism in his voice.

"Well." Barnaby intertwined their hands and leaned in to lightly kiss his partner. "I won't make any promises, but I am more than willing to give it a try. Also, you have to let me put the bandages back on, no buts."

"Fine, I can agree with that, Bunny-chan." Kotetsu smiled and kissed his partner, feeling more happy than he had done in a long time. Maybe getting burned hadn't been such a bad thing after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to add here that there are plenty different types of nudist or naturist out there, my take on this is just one form. I also learned a great deal about nudity and had a few of my prejudices poked, so that was very good! As always, sorry for typos and otherwise bad grammar, English is not my first language *bows deeply* Thank you for reading this far!


End file.
